Apparatus for intravenous administration of liquids



2,452,644 vAPPARATUS FOR INTRAVENOU-S ADMINISTRATION OF LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 5. 1946 M. R. FIELDS.

Nov. 2, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 2, 1948. M. R. FIELDS 2,452,644'

APPARATUS FOR INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF LIQUIDS Filed oct. 5. 194e 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 2, 1948 n Y I UNITED? STTQES PATE/NT OFFICE APPARATUS Fon rN'rRA'vENoUs ADMINIS- 'raA'rloN oF LrQUrDs Meek a. Fields, chieago. nl., assigner to Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illl, a corporation of Illinois Application October 5, 1946, Serial No. 701,519

8 Claims. (CL. 12S-214) ,This invention relates to apparatus for intraskirt portion 6, the said screw threading being venous administration of liquids, and it has parsuch as to tthe screw threading on the mouth ticular reference to the construction of a disof the bo-ttle. pensing cap for containers of liquids which are The end wall 1 of the cap is provided with a intravenously administered, and to tubing equipcentral opening 8 and a jrelatively soft rubber ment used in connection with such a cap for conmember il isV suitably associated with the rigid ducting the liquid to or from the container. cap member Il. The resilient rubber member 9 The main object of the invention is to provide comprises a main disc portion I0 of such size that apparatus of thel character indicated which can a peripheral portion of the disc is adapted to be produced and sold at such cost that it may 10 overlap a portion of the cap end 'l so that such economically be used only one time and then disperipheral portion will be disposed between the posed of, thereby to eliminate the practice of end II of the bottle and the end wall 'lof the re-sterilizing and reusing apparatus of the kind rigid cap element. The disc I0 is, therefore, opermentioned; to provide means for maintaining.r ative to serve as a gasket to assure a tight Joint initial sterility of the apparatus so that when it between the cap 4 and the bottle I. is to be placed in use, it is immediately ready for The resilient member 9 may be anchored t0 use; to provide a practical, convenient and readily the cap by being provided with a portion which openable package for the apparatus, and which extends outwardly through the opening 8 in the package will adequately protect the apparatus cap and beyond the outer wall of the cap end, and maintain it in an externally clean and interand an outwardly projecting annular rib I2 in nally sterile condition; and other objects and such relation to the outside face of the cap Wall advantages of the invention will be understood 'l as to serve the indicated purpose. The resilient by reference to the following specification and memberllmay be assembled into interlocked relaaccompanying drawings wherein there is illustion with the rigid cap member Il by reason of trated apparatus embodying a selected form of the resiliency of the member 9 which permits it the invention. to be distorted suiiiciently to enable the ribbed In the drawings (2 sheets) I: portion I2 to be passed through thev smaller open- Fig. 1 is an illustration partially in section ing 8 0f the Call Y showing the details of construction of an im- On the inside surface of the resilient plug proved cap element, and of the manner in which member 9 there iS Provided an upstanding 01 Y various parts of the apparatus are connected to projecting cylindrical portion I3, and in co-axial the cap; i alignment with said inwardly or upwardly pro- Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the outside end of leebing DOIIJOD there iS provided an outwardly a part of the cap structure; or downwardly projecting cylindrical portion I4. Fig. 3 is a perspective showing a part of a pack- 35 which terminates in a tapering or nozzle-like reage structure for packaging-.the apparatus; duced diameter end portion I5. A continuous Figs. 4 and 5 are a top elevation and side eleva.. hole IB is formed in an axial position in the oppotion, respectively, showing the manner in which sltely projecting portions I3 and I4 to provide an one commercial unit of the apparatus is assooutlet opening for liquid in the bOttle l. ciated with the packaging element of Fig. 3; 40 Alongside the` dOWllWal-ly projecting portion Fig. Sis a plan of the blank from which the I4 there is also provided another but smaller packaging element shown in Fig. 3 is formed; downwardly proiectineportion I Lthe same being and of generally cylindrical form and provided with Fig. 7 is a perspective illustrating the com- .an opening for receiving a tting I8 which conpleted package. stitutes an inlet member for controlling the en- The improved apparatus herein illustrated is trance for air or other fluid into the bottle I. usually employed in connection with a glass or The DIOJ'eCi/OII I7 iS Provided With a Small Openother suitable hottie represented at I, the bottle ing I9 in its out-er end for receiving and tightly being suspended in inverted position so that its fitting around an end portion of the tting I8, mouth 2 projects downwardly. The mouth 2 is 5i and said opening I9 communicates with a larger provided with suitable external screw threading opening 20 on the inside of the member 9.

represented at 3. A cap Il preferably formed of In some instances the liquid which is to be adhard rubber or plastic material or other suitabler ministered from the bottle I must be passed material is provided with internal screw threadthrough a strainer before it enters the tubing on ing 5 on the inside of its cylindrical ilange or 3.3 its way to the injection needle. Such a strainer is represented at 2I. It is provided at its lower end with a hollow portion 22 which will fit snugly over theupwardly projecting portion I3 of the resilient member, the fit being such that the member I3 will be slightly compressed when the strainer portion 22 is forced thereover. The friction i'lt of the strainer on the part I3 provides an adequate attachment of the strainer to the cap wall also permitting the strainer to be readily removed from the cap when removal is desired. Similarly, a strainer may be readily applied to the cap whenever desired merely by pressing the strainer end over the projection I3, the application of the strainer being also somewhat facilitated by rotating the strainer while pressing it toward the disc portion I of the cap structure. The details of the strainer structure are not important in connection with the present invention, and for purposes of this application it is sufcient tomerely explain that inthe form of strainer illustrated, a ine mesh screen element 23 embodied in the upper portion of the strainer strains the liquid as it passes through the screen into the interior of the strainer.

The iitting I8 may be of stainless steel or other suitable material, and its construction in this instance comprises a tubular cylindrical portion 24 provided with a slightly flared inside entrance portion 25. At its opposite end the tubular portion 24 communicates with one end of a reduced passageway 26 the other end of which communicates with a larger or counterbored opening portion 21. A suitable ball valve member 28 is disposed in the enlarged opening portion 21 and is locked therein by one or more inwardly offset end portions of the fitting as indicated at 29. The L ball 28 is free to move in the direction of the axis of the fitting I8 so that when the ball rests on the shoulder between the openings 2B and 21, a passage of liquid downwardly through the opening 28 and the fitting I8 will be prevented. However, when air or other fluid is caused to'fiow upwardly through the fitting I8, the ball will be readily displaced upwardly to permit the passage ofsuch air or fluid upwardly through the fitting and into the bottle I. The ball 28 is, of course, of such size that when it is raised from the seat between the openings 26 and 21, fluid may pass upwardly around the ball.

The check valve end of the fitting I8 is provided with a circumferential rib or enlargement 38 which becomes embedded in the projection I1 to anchor the fitting to the resilient rubber element 9 of the cap structure.

In some instances, an air filter is applied to the fltting I8 as shown in connection with the cap structure` applied to the bottle'3l which is' connected by the ilexible tube 32 to the fitting I8 as shown in Fig. 1. In the illustration shown inFig. 1, the bottle 3| is connected to the bottle I through the tube 32 for the purpose of supplying additional liquid to the bottle I as is sometimes required where an extra large volume of liquid is to be injected into a patient. In many instances, the amount of liquid to be injected is no more than the quantity which a single bottle can hold in` which casethe tube'32 and second bottle 3l would not be employed. Instead of connecting a liquid supply tube 32 to the fitting i8,`

.an air filter would be applied directly to the` iitting I8 as shown inconnection with the fitting Ilia which is carried by the cap structure 4a for the bottle 3i. The cap structure 4a is the same as the cap structure 4, and the iltting I8a is the same as the iitting I8.

The air lter element consists of a berboard or paper tube 33 which is of such internal diameter as to be a snug friction fit on the main cylindrical portion 24 of the fitting I8 or I8a. The

paperboard tube is somewhat longer than the portion 24 of the fitting and has one end rebent inwardly as indicated at 34 to provide a retainer for a wad 35' of cotton or other suitable air ltering material. Such wad of cotton will, of course,

m be confined between the inturned end portion 34 of the filter tube and the outer end 36 of the fitting I8 or I8a. 'The paper lter element including the filter material therein is of such character that lt may be sterilized by heat or otherwise while in place von a cap structure,

sterilization by live steam being preferable a1- though not essential.

On the bottle I which represents the cap structure with associated elements for delivering uid to a patient, a sight tube or drip tube 31 is provided, said tube being of transparent material such as glass and being of such internal diameter as to fit snugly around the outside of the main body portion of the nozzle I4. The resiliency of the material of which the nozzle I4 is formed serves, of course, to permit some distortion or compression of the nozzle I4 to the end that a very tight and leak-proof t may be obtained etween the tube 3'! and the nozzle merely `by "a force t of the sight tube overthe nozzle.

A length of thermoplastic tubing 38 of suitable small diameter is secured at one end as shown at 39 to a reduced discharge end portion 40 of the sight tube and at its other end said tube 38 is provided with a needle adapter tting 4I. The fitting 4I may be made of stainless steel or other suitable metal construction, and it is so formed that the tube 38l may be securely united to the fitting by means of a leakproof joint. One suit- 40 able-construction is shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 671,736. The fitting 4I is provided with a tapered end portion 48 of such form that the usual injection needle may be attached thereto by more or less conventional means. A cap 42 is applied to the free end oi the needle adapter fitting 4i and is frictionally held thereon. Said cap may be of resilient rubber or other similar resilient material which can be easily removed when it is desired to attach a needle to the fitting. The material of which the cap 42 is formed should be of such material that it will withstand the effects of heat or other sterilizing procedure by which the entire cap structure with attached elements is sterilized.

A flow controlling -device is associated with the ilexible tubing 38. Said device comprises a sheet metal member 43 which is provided with a tapering slot 44 through whichthe tube 38 passes. By adjusting the slotted member 43 transversely of the tube 38, the tube wil1 be more or less closed as the tube is forced into the narrow end portion of the slot, thereby to restrict the flow of uid through the tube. At the wider end of the slot, it is of at least slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the tube, so that the latter will be compressed suiiicientlyy to cause the now controller to be eiectively held in place on the tube by the resiliency or expansive pressure of the tube. Gauge marks may be provided on the '10 `control device for indicating the setting thereof.

When a second bottle of fluid is to be connected to a rst bottle represented in Fig. 1, the cap structure 4a instead of having a sight tube such as 31 attached to its outletnozzle |4a is operative to receive a large sized needle-like tube 45 which may be inserted into the opening of the nozzle as Lshown. The t of the tube 45 in the nozzle opening is such that there will be no leak-v age possible between the nozzle and tube 45. The needle tube 45 has its outer end provided with an enlargement as shown at 48 for tightly receiving an end portion 41 of the connecting tube 32, the

other end of which is connected to the fitting I8 by means of an end fitting 4Ia which is of the same construction as the needle fitting 4I. The tapered end portion 48 of the fitting, which fits a portion of an injection needle, also fits snuglyv The principal unit according to the present in- 1 vention would comprise the cap structure 4 with the inlet fitting I8 and an air lter member 33 and filtering medium 35 on the fitting I8, a sight' tube 31 on the nozzle I4, a suitable length of tubing 38, the iiow control member 43 on the tube 38, the needle adapter fitting 4I attached to the tube 38, the protective cap or cover 42, and a protective cover 49 (Fig. 4) on the cap 4. This structure is represented in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings in a partially packaged condition. Such a principal unit of apparatus is capable of being sterilized in its assembled condition in an autoclave or other suitable sterilizing equipment. While being sterilized, the protective covers 42 and 49 should be in. place on the fitting 4I and cap 4 respectively. The cover 49 may be of thin resilient rubber or other material which will stretch and fit tightly over the rigid outer element of the cap and hold itself in place thereon.

When the described principal unit of apparatus has been sterilized, it may be handled to the extent necessary for packaging purposes without danger of. contaminating any of the internal or vital external surfaces of the apparatus so that the packaged unit may be delivered in effectively sterilized condition to the user of the'apparatus.

One convenient method of packaging the apparatus is to provide a paperboard loop or receptacle 58 (Fig. 3) formed from a lblank such as` wall 54 is formed by abutting end portions of the main panel 5I. The auxiliary panel 52 is folded inwardly from the bottom edge of the side wall 55 to form a partial bottom for the loop, and the panel 53 is folded upwardly and secured to thel `abutting end portions which form the side wall 54.

The panel 52 has foldably connected to it an end extension 58 which is folded upwardly from the end of the bottom forming portion 52, and said extension 58 has a fiap 58 foldably connected to one of its sides, said flap 59 being folded to and secured in overlapping'position on the inside of the panel 53. The extension 58 forms a partition in the loop member 50 to provide an end space or chamber 88 which is adapted to house the main cap structure 4 with its protective cap 48 thereon. Said partition member 58 is suitably notched as indicated at 6I and 62 to receive the lter tube element 33 in place on the fitting I8 and the sight tube 31, the upper portion 8| of the notch in said partition being of such width as to receive therein the diameter of a. lip-like circumferential flange I2a which projects from the cap element 8 in slightly spaced relation to the nozzle I4 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 'The notch portion 52 in said partition is of such width as toreceive the diameter' of the boss I1 which receives the fitting I8.

The filter member 33 and the sight tube 31 carried by the cap structure, will project into the main portion of the receptacle formedfby the loop 58 and the tube 38 is bent reversely and extended outwardly through a slot 55a in the side wall v5 as indicated at 83. The tube 38 is then wrapped a few turns (according to its length) close fit in its passage through the slot 55a of the side wall o f the loop.

The paperboard loop with the apparatus packaged therein and thereon may next be enclosed in any suitable outer container 83 of paperboard or other material as represented in Fig. 7. Said outer container will preferably be provided with vscoring such as represented at 84 for facilitating opening of the package to permit the removal of the loop 58 with its content. In this instance, the container 83 is illustrated as having its top wall scored for aording a full opening to the interior thereof. However, either of the other walls of the container may be similarlyprovided with means for opening of the container. The outer containershould, however, be of such size that the tubing 38 wrapped around the outside of the loop 58 will fit snugly within the container so as to permit shifting of the packaged material within the outer container. Although it is not essential, it is desirable that the outer container be of sufficient rigidity to prevent collapsing of the tubing 38 between the walls of the outer container and the walls of the loop 58. l

By packaging the apparatus in the described manner. the parts are held in fixed position with the tubing so arranged that it is free of sharp bends or kinks. Certain kinds of tubing tend to set in any position in which it is held for an extended period. By supporting the apparatus in the manner explained, the formation of objectionable bends or kinks, either initially or because of shifting of the parts in the package, is prevented.

Auxiliary equipment such as the cap 4a with its means for delivering liquid from one bottle to another, and an air filter may be sterilized, protected and packaged in a manner similar to that illustrated in Figs. 3 to '1, inclusive.

The tube 38 is preferably of a synthetic plastic composition of a kind now available on the market and which is sufllciently transparent to permit visual inspection of the ow of liquid through the tube, effectively resistant to chemical action by any of the liquids which would ordinarily be conducted therein in connection with intravenous or like injections, flexible and resilient with the capacity of withstanding heat sterilization in an autoclave without too seriously impairing its resiliency characteristic which is relied upon for holding the tube end on the sight tube 31 and on the `needle element 45, and it is smooth surfaced inside and out, and is produced with a high degree of uniformity in respect of its internal and external diameters so that a selected size of tubing will practically always fit with the same degree of tightness on other parts of a specified size. The

resiliency of thematerial is also such that the tube will automatically expand when the ilow controlling device 43 is adjusted from a closed position to an open position, even after the tube has been subjected to sterilizing treatment. Tublng of this character is considerably less expensive than the equivalent rubber tubing which has most commonly been used in connection with venoclysis sets. The metal fittings such as 48 and 4I are of simple character and construction so that they are of low cost, and the glass sight tube 31 and the parts of the cap 4 are also of such low cost that all oi these parts may .be disposed of after they have been used once without adding excessively to the cost of af'biood transfusion or the administration of liquid by means of this type of apparatus. Disposal of the equipment after use eliminates the conventional practice of resterilizing the equipment with the attendant uncertainties as to thoroughness oi' the sterilization and in this respect any slight increase in the cost of employing disposable equipment such as'here described is fully justified, in that any danger of infecting the patient by reason of inadequately sterilized equipment is eliminated.

Th'e outer shell oi the cap 4 never comes into direct contact with any of the liquid being administered. If desired, said outer cap element may be preserved ands'terilized as a safety measure and re-assembled with a new inner member 9. This practice, however, would involve extra handling of the sterilized member 9 which would probably be somewhat objectionable because of the danger of contaminating the same. The metal fitting I8 and the glass sight tube 31 maybe separated from the other parts if desired and re-sterllized for reuse. sterilization of these parts being readily aecomplished without any questions Aas to the sumciency of the sterilizing operation. However, for the reasons already indicated in respect of the necessity of handling the parts for assembling with other elements, it is preferable that all of these parts be disposed after a single use so as to obtain the greatest benefits of certainty of complete sterilization of new equipment.

Various other arrangements for packaging the apparatus may, of course, be employed, and various changes may be made in the structure Without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus 'for intravenous administration of liquids, comprising a length of flexible tubing, a fitting on one end oi said tubing for detachable connection to a needle, a. bottle cap provided with means for detachably connecting the cap to a bottle, an outwardly projecting outlet nozzle for discharging liquid from a bottle to which the cap may be attached, and with an inlet passageway for permitting vfluid to enter said bottle, and an apertured iitting carried by said cap in communication with said inlet passageway, said apertured fitting being a tubular member having an end portion seated in said inlet passageway, a check valve structure in the opening of said tubular member for preventing discharge of uid from said bottle through said inlet opening, and outer and inner surfaces on its other end portion respectivelyadapted to detachably receive an air illter and a tube end tting substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for the intravenous administratis-n of iiuizls, comprising a bottle cap outer element having an apertured end wall and a skirt which is provided with means for attaching the cap to a bottle, a resilient member having a disc lso 'disc portion through said aperture and provided with an enlargement overlapping the margin of the outside of said end wall around said aperture,l he resiliency ofsaid member permitting distortion thereof and assembly with said outer elev ment, and said resilient member having one or more apertured projections for receivingone or more devices such as a sight tube, an inlet check valve, and a filter.

3. Apparatus for intravenous administration oi liquids, comprising a bottle cap provided with means for' detachably connecting the cap to a bottle, an outwardly projecting outlet nozzle for discharging liquid from a bottle to which the cap may be attached, and with an apcrtured outwardly extending projection, a length of exible tubing having one end connected to said nozzle so as to receive the liquid therefrom andprovided at its other end with a iitting for detachable connection lto a needle, and a fitting mounted in said cap is attached, the outer end portion of said tting having external and internal surfaces forv respcctivey receiving an air filter and a iiexible tube end fitting substantially as described.

4. Venoclysis apparatus comprising adispensing container-closure having a wall part adapted to be seated on a container so as to extend across the mouth of the container, drip tube and strainer mounting projections integral with and extending in opposite directions from said wall part, said projections and theintervening wall parthaving an opening extending therethrough and constituting an outlet opening through the closure, and another projection integral with and extending from said wall part in the direction in which said drip tube mounting projection extends and in laterally spaced relation to said drip tube mounting projection, there being an opening extending through said other projection and wall part and constituting an inlet opening,

5. Venoclysis apparatus comprising a dispensing container-closure having a resilient rubber wall part adapted to be seated on a container so as to extend across the mouth of the container, drip tube and strainer mounting projections integral with and extending in opposite directions from said wall part, said projections and the intervening wall part having an opening extending therethrough and constituting an outlet opening through the closure, a drip tube having a hollow eid portion surrounding said drip tube mounting projection and maintaining the latter under compression so as to be thereby frictionally yieldingly attached to the closure, a length of tubing having one end secured to the other end of said drip tube, a needle adapter secured to the other end of said length of tubing. said strainer mounting projection being adapted to be received under compress-ion within a hollow end portion oi a strainer to thereby frictlonally yieldably attach such strainer to the closure, and another projection integral with and extending fromsaid wall part in the direction in which said drip tube mounting projection extends and in laterally spaced relation to said drip tube mounting projection, there being an opening extending through said other projection and wall part and constituting an inlet opening, and a check valve structure inserted into 9 said inlet opening and of such size as to expand the material around said opening whereby said check valve is yieldably frictionally mounted on said closure, said check valve being arranged to prevent outflow of fluid through said inlet opening.

6. Packaged, single use, sterilized and ready` for use apparatus for intravenous' administrationof fluids, the apparatus comprising a length of llexible, resilient material tubing, a connector secured to one end of said tubing for attaching the same to a fluid container in communication with the interior of the container, a removable protective cap enclosing a portion of said connector, a hypodermic needle adapter secured to the other end of said length of flexible tubing, and a removable protective cap enclosing a por'- tion of said needle adapter, the packaging comprising inner and outer members, the inner member comprising a unit having said tubing wound spiraliy therearound so as to support said tubing` against kinking, said unit having, in effect, an endless wall around which said tubing is wound as aforesaid, and said outer member being a re-.

ceptacle completely enclosing said inner member and iluid administration apparatus.

'1. Packaged, single use, sterilized and ready for use apparatus for intravenous administration of uids,' the apparatus comprising a length of flexible, resilient material tubing, a connector se- Icured to one end of said tubing for attaching the same to a fluid container in communication with the interior of the container, a removable protective cap enclosing a portion of said connector, a

inner member so as to dispose said container connector and needle adapterwithin the loops of tubing around said side wall, said side wall being notched to permit passage of said tubing through the side wall as aforesaid, and said outer member being a receptacle completely enclosing said inner memberand fluid administrationapparatus.

a needle adapter secured to the other end of said length of flexible tubing, and a removable protective cap enclosing a portion of said tting, the packaging comprising inner and outer members, the inner member having a bottom and an endless band-like side wall, the side wall having said tubing looped therearound so as to be supported in predetermined, substantially xed position by said side wall, the end portions of said tubing extending through said side Wall into the interior of said inner member so as to dispose said container connector and needle adapter within the loops of tubing around said side wall, said side wall being notched to permit passage of said tubing through REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,138,936 Osterberg Dec. 6, 1938 2,210,098 Ravenscroit Aug. 6, 1940 2,214,260 Ravenscroft Sept. 10, 1940 2,276,421 Ross Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 111,712 Australia Oct. 9, 1940 France Dec. 12, 1906 

